The lifting of heavy equipment with cranes is inherently dangerous. Of particular significance is the lifting of long, heavy beams, such as long, heavy, metal or steel beams, with cranes. Lifting a long, heavy beam with a crane is difficult because it is unwieldy, and must be attached to the hoist line of a crane carefully to ensure the weight of the beam is balanced relative to the lifting axis of the hoist line to prevent the beam from shifting or displacing during lifting. This is particularly important in steel girder operations where precise placement for installation is required, such as in the building of the steel infrastructure of buildings, bridges, and the like. The challenge of providing a reliable and quick coupling and decoupling between the hoist line of a crane and long, heavy stock further contributes to the difficultly of safely, rapidly, and efficiently repeatedly lifting large amounts of long, heavy stock.